


New Day, New Life

by whitewolfreed



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken | Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword
Genre: AU tag applies since this doesn't adhere to Heroes canon/lore, Alternate Universe, Gen, Mentions of Character Death, does this count as angst with a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-13 20:33:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19258693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitewolfreed/pseuds/whitewolfreed
Summary: Lloyd Reed doesn’t know whether being summoned to the world of Zenith is a blessing or a curse. It seemed simple enough on paper: help the Order of Heroes fight back against the Emblian Empire’s invasion, and he could return to the timeless peace of the Gate once it’s over.He really ought to stop making it easy for the universe to pick on him.





	New Day, New Life

Lloyd Reed doesn’t know whether being summoned to the world of Zenith is a blessing or a curse. It seemed simple enough on paper: help the Order of Heroes fight back against the Emblian Empire’s invasion, and he could return to the timeless peace of the Gate once it’s over.

He really ought to stop making it easy for the universe to pick on him.

The summoning itself is an event Lloyd can’t remember no matter how he tries - the best he gets is the memory of being within the Gate at one point and in the courtyard of the castle the Order uses as their base the next. It bothers him incessantly for some time after (because the idea of an assassin with poor memory recall is funny at best), but ultimately there’s nothing that can be done about it, though overhearing similar experiences from other Heroes is something of a relief. Working with the Order is a pleasant enough arrangement, for the most part; the summoner, inexperienced though they may be, tries their hardest to be accommodating and as such, Lloyd’s missions often consist of reconnaissance and striking at the enemy’s blind spots.

The problem, he discovers a little late for his liking, is the inevitability of encountering familiar faces. Discreetly exploring the castle in his free time leads him to the sole library within its stone walls, and the assassin is thankful that the doors are left open; they creak noisily with age, rendering stealth impossible should one have to touch them. He’s hardly taken more than a few steps in when he spots the bright green head of hair at one of the tables, the owner blissfully unaware she’s being watched as she intently listens to her companion - Lucius, if he remembers correctly - read to her.

His heart aches at the sight, memories of the past surfacing against his will, and Lloyd turns to leave before Nino can notice he’s there. Excuses form in his mind for why he's running away. He doesn't deserve to be part of her life again, not after that fateful day at the Shrine of Seals (for a certain measure of _life_ when the Heroes summoned from the Gate are long dead). Seeing him now would only hurt her anew (her screams and cries are still startlingly clear in his mind). On and on the list went. He laughs bitterly to no one as his feet continue putting distance between himself and the library; if seeing the girl he’d called his sister causes him to react like _this_ , what will he do when faced with Legault or Linus?

In the midst of his downward spiral, he finally becomes aware someone’s been following him. To make matters worse, he _knows_ that presence, and tries to steel his expression before stopping and turning to face his pursuer.

“And how can I help you on this fine day, Angel of Death?”

He doesn’t get a response, which is more or less what he expected. Jaffar was and is a man of few words, after all. Still, he waits, armed with the knowledge that the other assassin didn’t tail him just to stare and be intimidating. 

“...You can’t hide from Nino forever.”

Lloyd stiffens. Jaffar must have been lurking somewhere close to the library earlier. He really is slipping; of course Jaffar would be wherever Nino is when he isn’t busy. “...I know,” he replies as levelly as he can manage, “but she doesn’t need to see a brother who caused her nothing but grief.”

“She doesn’t think that way.”

“It doesn’t matter. I do, and that’s enough.” It leaves a bitter taste in his mouth, using the same words he’d said to Legault that day to justify himself. When it comes down to it, though, he’s a coward - Linus’s death broke him back then, and he hated living in a world where his oaf of a little brother wasn’t there. Nino deserves better than a brother who threw his life away and left her behind.

Jaffar says nothing to that, expression unreadable as always, so Lloyd turns away and resumes walking. This time, no one follows.

 

* * *

 

The summoner looks equal parts concerned yet understanding when he requests a heavier workload not long after that same day, citing that he has more time to spare than he’s comfortable with. He can see by the look in their eyes that they’re not entirely fooled, but they don’t ask and merely assign him a new reconnaissance mission along with the usual reminder to be careful before dismissing him.

He’s grown used to the routine of packing lightly before setting out; Lloyd never quite took to riding on horseback as most others do, and carts are reserved for groups, so his traveling is done exclusively on foot. Well, that suits him just fine - his line of work has little use for things that hamper stealth. All he needs are his sword, rations in case he’s away long enough to require them, a flask of water, and a hidden knife if, for whatever reason, he finds himself without his primary weapon.

Perhaps it’s because he’s conscious about Nino learning that he’s been hiding from her (it’s unlikely Jaffar’s said anything), but he keeps to the shadows whenever possible as he makes his way toward the castle entrance. The Order hasn’t grown so large that he can’t go unseen… at least until he hears the clack of heels coming towards him at full speed, such that even the guards he’s in the midst of speaking to at the doors turn their heads to look. It’s a miracle the girl - her name is Felicia, if memory serves correctly - doesn’t trip in the process of slowing to a halt before him, clearly out of breath from sprinting across the castle.

“Hah… hah… You’re Lloyd, right? Please tell me I didn’t get the wrong person?”

The assassin arches an eyebrow, wondering why she’s looking for him of all people. “I am. Is there something you need?”

“Oh, good! I was worried you’d left already,” she exhales in relief, having recovered enough to stand upright. “I’m not sure if you know me, but I’m Felicia. The summoner ordered me to go with you.”

“...Alright.” He hasn’t really worked with anyone else since joining the Order, but who is he to question orders? He _has_ heard of the maid’s legendary clumsiness, a trait that apparently persists even as a Hero, though it’s thankfully confined to when Felicia attempts tasks of the more domestic nature. There’s only one thing that troubles him about having her come along: “Are you sure you want to head out wearing those shoes?”

Felicia makes a confused noise, glancing down at her choice of footwear before it clicks why he’s asking. “Oh! Don’t worry about it, I’ll be fine. Walking or running in them is like second nature by now!”

Lloyd eyes her skeptically, but relents and turns back to the guards, who give them the okay to leave and make for the gate serving as the sole entry and exit point for the castle grounds. As they follow the dirt path leading to said gate, he lets his gaze drift toward the well-fortified walls surrounding the area, meant to serve as protection should the Order’s base ever come under attack by enemy forces. A wise choice, he thinks, given its distance from the capital and any help the Royal Knights could provide in a crisis.

His companion hums to herself as she walks a step behind him, and her cheer is almost contagious despite the serious nature of their mission. ...She reminds him of Nino, in a way.

At some point, the humming stops, causing him to glance back. Felicia wears her emotions on her sleeve, from what he can tell, and at present she looks torn between saying something and holding her tongue. “What’s wrong?”

“...You wouldn’t happen to be the Lloyd that Nino talks about sometimes, would you?” The flash of alarm he has right then must have shown on his face, because her expression turns sadder after. “It was hard to tell, since you keep to yourself all the time, but… don’t you think you should spend time with her? She’s smarter than you give her credit for - she _does_ know you’re here, and it makes her sad that you stay away.”

Lloyd finds that he can’t look her in the eye, breaking eye contact to stare off to the side in shame. “I… can’t. It wouldn’t do her any good to see me.”

Evidently, that was the wrong thing to say, because Felicia looks angry when she hastens her pace to walk beside him. “Now listen here, mister! Maybe I don’t know what happened to make you think that way, but I do know that she’d love nothing more than to be with her brother again! Nino always speaks fondly of you and the rest of her family, so just… just…”

The maid’s anger burns out, and is replaced with tears that quickly threaten to spill over; she stops walking and swipes at her eyes to get rid of them, releasing a few sniffles in the process. Lloyd stops as well, uncertain of how to respond in the face of seeing his fellow Hero struggle not to cry. Thinking about it, though, he has a decent idea as to why his refusal to speak to Nino upsets her so.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you,” she eventually says, a dejected look on her face. “It’s just that I had an older sister, and one time there wasn’t anything I could do to save her…”

It doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together. “...She died.”

Felicia nods, her eyes downcast. “She was forced to betray us. The guilt was too much to bear, so she… took her own life.”

“It must be painful to remember,” he replies sympathetically. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Lloyd. I just think that if one day, she’s summoned here like we were, the only thing that’d matter to me is being able to see her again. Even if she still feels guilt for hurting me, I’d greet her with a smile.” Giving him a watery smile, she continues, “So don’t think that Nino is better off without you, okay?”

He finds himself moved by her words, more so than expected, and nods. “Aye.” Then, “We’re burning daylight by standing here. Let’s go - we’ve a mission to fulfill.”

“Right!”

* * *

 

The only noteworthy event that occurs while they’re sneaking through the forest close to the mountain range separating Askr from Embla is the scouting party the pair lay eyes on, wearing the Empire’s colors and outnumbering them several times over. Lloyd and Felicia glance at each other briefly before agreeing that the enemy can’t be allowed to report anything they find back, and split up to catch the Emblian soldiers in a surprise pincer attack. Between the daggers that seem to come out of nowhere and the swordsman’s deadly skill with a blade, they never stand a chance against the two Heroes.

“I’m a little surprised,” Lloyd remarks as he’s searching the corpses for useful items to bring back - between the war waged by the late Emperor of Embla in the past and the current one spearheaded by Princess Veronica, it’s hard to say that Askr is flourishing. The people are still able to live in relative comfort, but only because the armed forces work hard to keep the Empire at bay. “I’d heard that you’re clumsy off the battlefield, but on it you’re a force to be reckoned with. Yet you don’t seem like the type who enjoys fighting.”

His companion doesn’t pause in retrieving her weapons, unnecessary as the action is due to a Hero’s innate ability to materialize and dematerialize them as needed. Force of habit, then - a holdover from when she lived in her own world, where weapons didn’t exist in limitless supply. “I like helping others more, even if I make a lot of mistakes in the process. And… I’ll fight if it means I can protect my allies. Gunter said I have natural skill in combat, so I can’t let it go to waste, right?”

The corners of Lloyd’s mouth turn upward in a smile. “Of course.” Standing up with his findings safely stashed away, he peers up at the sky through the gaps in the forest canopy. “We should return to the castle. The bulk of the enemy seem to be keeping their distance for the time being, and the sun’s bound to set soon.” Felicia makes a noise of agreement, dusting off her skirt and falling into step beside him as they make the trek back to base. For the first time since his summoning, the White Wolf feels comfortable talking about his brother and the mismatched family he’d gained during his life; his new friend in turn shares stories of her sister, and they laugh together at the common ground they’ve found.

 

* * *

 

“Lloyd!”

He hardly has time to react before a blur of green knocks the wind from his lungs with an _oof_ , one foot sliding backwards to avoid losing his balance. Felicia giggles at the sight, and if he squints he can see Jaffar standing in the shadow of a pillar, watching them with that same unreadable look as always. Slowly, Lloyd’s arms move to return his little sister’s hug, holding her tight.

“Hey, Nino. It’s been a while.”

Maybe being in this world isn’t so bad, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> There are things I should probably clarify, since this piece is more like a test run of an AU than the AU proper.
> 
> To start with, since FEH canon/lore is in a weird place for me in terms of how they've explained this or that, I ended up treating summoned Heroes more like the Servants from Fate/Grand Order instead. The "Gate" that's mentioned a few times throughout the work is a rather shameless ripoff of Fate's Throne of Heroes, where the spirits of legendary figures are recorded and stored. The Heroes are also technically superhuman, quite literally able to act as one-man armies against regular people, which is why the Emblian scouting party Lloyd and Felicia encounter never had a chance to begin with.
> 
> I *am* aware that the castle serving as FEH's home screen is the very same one that the Askran royal family live in, but out of personal preference I write as though the Order of Heroes uses a different castle for their base of operations instead. It also has the side effect of putting more distance between Alfonse and Gustav, when taking Book 3's events into account.
> 
> Finally, this work goes along with the idea that Lloyd is fought in Cog of Destiny. Felicia as she appears here is from Birthright, where Flora committed suicide (don't hurt me for this. I needed a character who'd be able to talk some sense into Lloyd, and came up with Felicia after realizing she'd probably relate to Nino in particular when it comes to dead siblings). I had AU plans for Blazing Sword and Fates, but it grew into too much of a headache to implement here, so I settled for canon in regards to their histories. It has more impact if Lloyd dies, anyway. Timeline wise, this takes place at an early point in the game well before Legault and Linus are summoned, which is why they're only name mentions rather than actually appearing in it.
> 
> I owe a big thank-you to Zebra for beta reading and helping me turn a particularly awkward sentence I'd written into something clearer.


End file.
